WFU Releases 07-08 Basketball Schedule

Wake Forest

08/23/2007

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest's 29-game regular season schedule was announced by the Atlantic Coast Conference office Thursday. The schedule features eight home non-conference games at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, a pair of road games at Southeastern Conference opponents and 19 contests vs. teams that reached postseason play last year.

Head coach Dino Gaudio will open his first season with the Deacons on Friday, Nov. 9 against Fairfield in Joel Coliseum. That marks the first of three straight home games to open the season. Wake Forest will also host North Carolina Central on Nov. 19. The Twin City Classic, which pits Wake Forest against cross-city rival Winston-Salem State, is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 23.

"For a young team, our schedule is very challenging," said Gaudio. "I like the opportunity to start out with a few home games so we can develop and garner some experience at the Joel."

Following the three-game homestand, the Deacons head to Iowa for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Nov. 26. That starts a run of five straight non-conference games that has Wake Forest playing on the road for four of those.

After meeting the Hawkeyes, Wake will travel to Charlotte to meet the 49ers in Bobcats Arena on Nov. 29. After a home game with South Carolina-Upstate, coached by former WFU captain Eddie Payne, on Dec. 1, Wake Forest will visit SEC foes Vanderbilt on Dec. 5 and Georgia on Dec. 8.

"The ACC schedule is incredibly challenging and our games at Iowa, Charlotte, Vanderbilt and Georgia will help us prepare for the rigors of the ACC season," said Gaudio.

The Deacons will host Bucknell on Dec. 16 and South Florida on Dec. 19 before opening ACC play at home against Virginia Tech on Dec. 23.

Wake Forest will play three more home non-league games before diving full-speed in to conference play. The Deacons host Air Force on Dec. 30, Presbyterian on Jan. 2 and Brigham Young on Jan. 8.

The ACC schedule picks up with road games at Boston College on Jan. 12 and at Maryland on Jan. 15. Following a home date with Florida State on Jan. 22, WFU will visit Clemson on Jan. 22 and close out the month with a home game against the Miami Hurricanes on Jan. 29.

Wake Forest will play four of its seven conference games in February at home. The Deacons visit North Carolina State on Feb. 3 before returning home to host Georgia Tech on Feb. 6 and Virginia on Feb. 9. A road date at Florida State on Feb. 14 leads into Wake Forest's home game with Duke on Feb. 17. WFU closes the month of February at North Carolina on the 24th and at home with Maryland on the 28th.

In March, WFU will visit Georgia Tech on Mar. 1 and Virginia Tech on Mar. 4. The regular season ends on Saturday, Mar. 8 with a home game against North Carolina State.

The 55th annual ACC Tournament begins in Charlotte on Thursday, March 13.